Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 25/02/2026
Subject: History
Lesson Topic: 2.6 How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989?
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the main tools (political, economic, military, ideological, security) the USSR used to maintain control over Eastern Europe.
  • Analyse how key crises such as the Hungarian Revolution (1956), Prague Spring (1968), Solidarity (1980‑81) and the 1989 revolutions challenged Soviet dominance.
  • Evaluate the overall security of Soviet control from 1948 to c.1989, identifying factors that weakened it.
  • Compare the effectiveness of hard power versus soft power in sustaining Soviet influence.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen for timeline diagram.
  • PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation covering tools and crises.
  • One‑page handout summarising tools and key events.
  • Primary‑source excerpts (e.g., Brezhnev Doctrine text, Hungarian protest leaflets).
  • Whiteboard and markers for group charts.
  • Exit‑ticket cards for the final check.
 Introduction:
Begin with a short video clip of Warsaw Pact tanks entering Prague in 1968 to hook interest. Ask students what they already know about why the Soviet Union kept armies and governments in Eastern Europe. Explain that today they will assess how secure that control really was and will be judged on their ability to analyse evidence and construct an argument.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑Now (5'): Students match the five Soviet tools to their purposes on a quick worksheet.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Present the tools of domination using slides and a timeline diagram.
  3. Source analysis (12'): In pairs, examine a primary‑source excerpt from the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and identify which tool was employed.
  4. Group discussion (8'): Pairs share findings; class builds a cause‑effect chart of crises versus control.
  5. Guided practice (10'): Complete a two‑column chart evaluating hard vs. soft power across the periods 1948‑1989.
  6. Check for understanding (5'): Quick Kahoot quiz with three multiple‑choice questions.
  7. Summary & exit ticket (5'): Students write one sentence answering “Was Soviet control secure in 1975? Why?” and hand in the ticket.
Conclusion:
Recap the main tools and how each crisis tested them, reinforcing that Soviet control weakened over time. Collect exit tickets as an immediate retrieval check. For homework, assign a short essay comparing the 1956 Hungarian uprising with the peaceful 1989 revolutions to deepen understanding.